Golf club having a damping element for ball speed control

Abstract

A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion surrounding and extending rearwards from the striking face, a damping element including a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface of the damping element opposite the front surface of the damping element, wherein the striking face comprises a first portion having a substantially constant thickness, wherein the front surface of the damping element comprises a geometric center, wherein the golf club head includes additional damping structures and materials to achieve desired acoustic characteristics.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a back portion behind said striking face extending from a topline to a sole;   a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on a heel side of said golf club head, said heel side located opposite a toe side;   a coordinate system centered at a center of gravity of said golf club head, said coordinate system comprising a y-axis extending vertically, perpendicular to a ground plane when said golf club head is in an address position at a prescribed loft and lie, an x-axis perpendicular to said y-axis and parallel to said striking face, extending towards said heel side of said golf club head, and a z-axis, perpendicular to said y-axis and said x-axis and extending through said striking face;   a plurality of scorelines having the same length on said striking face;   a center face plane parallel to said y-axis and said z-axis, said center face plane located equidistant from a heel-most extent of said plurality of scorelines and a toe-most extent of said plurality of scorelines;   a damping element comprising a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface of said damping element opposite said front surface of said damping element;   wherein said striking face comprises a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface;   wherein said front surface of said damping element contacts said rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said damping element comprises a first material having a first hardness, and said damping element comprises a second material having a second hardness; and   wherein said first hardness is different than said second hardness.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said first hardness is greater than said second hardness. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said second material surrounds said first material. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said first material has a circular shape. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said first material has a geometric center located between 5 mm heelward of said center face plane and 5 mm toeward of said center face plane. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said first material has a diameter between 8 mm and 18 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein said second material has an elliptical shape. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein a major axis of said elliptical shape of said second material is parallel to said x-axis. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein a major axis of said elliptical shape of said second material is angled between about 10 degrees and 30 degrees relative to said x-axis. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein said second material has a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein a centerline along a longer dimension of said rectangular shape of said second material is angled between about 10 degrees and 30 degrees relative to said x-axis. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein a geometric center of said rectangular shape of said second material is offset from a geometric center of said circular shape of said first material in a direction towards said toe side and towards said topline. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a back portion behind said striking face extending from a topline to a sole;   a hosel configured to receive a shaft, said hosel located on a heel side of said golf club head, said heel side located opposite a toe side;   a coordinate system centered at a center of gravity of said golf club head, said coordinate system comprising a y-axis extending vertically, perpendicular to a ground plane when said golf club head is in an address position at a prescribed loft and lie, an x-axis perpendicular to said y-axis and parallel to said striking face, extending towards said heel side of said golf club head, and a z-axis, perpendicular to said y-axis and said x-axis and extending through said striking face;   a plurality of scorelines having the same length on said striking face;   a center face plane parallel to said y-axis and said z-axis, said center face plane located equidistant from a heel-most extent of said plurality of scorelines and a toe-most extent of said plurality of scorelines;   a damping element comprising a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface of said damping element opposite said front surface of said damping element;   wherein said striking face comprises a front surface configured to strike a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface;   wherein said front surface of said damping element contacts said rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said damping element comprises a first material having a first hardness, and said damping element comprises a second material having a second hardness adjacent said first material; and   wherein said first hardness is greater than said second hardness.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said first hardness is between about 40 Shore A and 70 Shore A. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said second hardness is between about 10 Shore A and 40 Shore A. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of said first material overlaps said center face plane. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said first material has a circular shape with a diameter between about 8 mm and 18 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said second material surrounds said first material and has one of an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said first material and said second material are co-molded. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , further comprising a support arm extending in a topline-to-sole direction,
 wherein said support arm contacts at least a portion of said first material.